Do Songs Ever Play Over and Over in Your Head?

[rainy_daze]

I know this thread is old, but I'm glad to have found it.

@Pandora, you are not nutty and neither is anyone else who posted.

I'm sure there'll be some more scientific explanation for why this happens, but it happens to lots of people. It took me doing a bit of awful Google research (not recommended, as often this is unhelpful from all the rubbish people write on the internet) before I found there was a couple of posts on here. I wish I had started looking here first. Still, I feel relieved and realise how silly I was being having a psychological panic.

Songs get stuck in my head too. Often a song will pop into my brain if someone says something that reminds me of a song or lyrics to a song. It can be the same verse or chorus on repeat.

The reason I was looking into this was at my last therapy session I stopped listening to the T - I can't remember the exact details of the conversation, other than I was extremely upset and crying - and told her I was sorry but I was "listening to music in my head now". She said this was understandable and ok, which it is, and of course it was ok, it's my brain.

I realise maybe it's a coping mechanism, and that it serves a good purpose for me. Yeah, it can be irritating sometimes, but other times I think the parts of songs playing over and over is my brain trying to deal with something. Lyrics are easier, and music feels familiar. I was told that when I was diagnosed: "listen to music, read books and keep doing what you're doing and you will make a full recovery". Less enlightened times, but advice that was meant well, and in my opinion comforting yourself with music can be beneficial for your mood.

I feel lots better knowing I'm not about to lose touch with reality or another form of unpleasantness just because I listen to music in my head sometimes when things aren't easy. Phew.

 

[pandora]

It still happens to me.....all the time, especially if I am stressed out or someone is yelling at me and then I go on to do things like organize and forget where I put everything.....drives my son and boyfriend crazy! Bottom line..its ok during a therapy session but if someone yells at me I shut down and the songs start playing, I really think it is a form of disassociation.

 

[DMerish]

"Earworms" - that's what it's called when you get a song stuck in your head. It rarely happens to me, but when it's does it's when I'm more relaxed rather than stressed and anxious. Like this morning, I woke up with the 1960's song "Feeling Groovy" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel over and over again. I finally told myself I had to get off that track and think about something else. What replaced it was "Groovin on A Sunday Afternoon" by The Rascals also from the 1960's . . . . Why? Why? Why?

 

[Britt.f7]

Use to happen to me all the time when I was working in various customer service jobs. All of a sudden a song, like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, would pop in my head. I think it helped work through the stress and keep a cheerful disposition. It rarely happens now that I don't(can't) work. Still the tune was always scene appropriate. lol